Executive Search

Hospitality Executive Search - The Science & Art

Our work truly is extraordinary. Devoted to our clients we target and assess all the upper quartile talent where we’re likely to find potential candidates with the expertise that is required, including of course those that are not currently looking for a career move. We then inspire interest about your company, the culture, and the role; this may take several conversations. Plainly this takes time and dedication, something that the typical Contingency Agency cannot afford, as they are racing against the tyranny of time-based competition; each firm rushing to get as many CV's in front of you as possible and thereby hopefully claim a fee.

Typically, Contingency Agencies tout candidates. They are de facto agents of the candidate and that’s where their loyalty lies. They attract people looking for jobs, this is clear from their websites which are orientated to get candidates to register. This means they capture the mediocre performers whose career or current job is not working out. It’s rare that such candidates are peak performers, usually they are looking to break into the region or upgrade to a better company, location or position. We also worry that Contingency Recruiters send the same CV to multiple potential employers in order to cover all their bases, like a gambler putting multiple chips on the Roulette table.

Many clients have observed the consequences of this. Apart from not getting talent, one of the worst outcomes is that the ‘job’ gets passed along the grapevine by several firms and through the far-reaching power of word-of-mouth it creates an image of a company having trouble filling a position.

We mention this as a significant proportion of our clients have indicated that they had previously engaged several Contingency Agencies and they have not presented candidates of the caliber that our clients are seeking – this is commonplace as they’ve probably just sent the CVs of the active job seekers that they have on hand who fit some of the criteria that the client is seeking. We are often asked “Do you have anyone like this on your books?”

Although we have a database of over 850,000 hospitality industry professionals worldwide, we don’t keep ‘books’ of active job seekers, we’re not like theatrical agents touting struggling actors. Our ‘book’ is the hotels, companies and people that are out-doing the competition. We then determine who is causing this and we go after those individuals. Just like great athletes, executive talent goes through their peaks and lows - we bring you talent that is currently at its peak.

Attracting truly exceptional individuals to leave their current employer to join your organization takes time, dedication, and an intricate understanding of both the role that is to be filled, as well as your corporate culture and an intimate knowledge of your company.

When a potential candidate receives a call from an Exclusive & Retained Executive Search Firm – they immediately know that the client company is serious about building world-class teams, that the client company invests significantly in their human capital, and that they have been specifically targeted owing to their background, experience, and reputation in the industry. This is an empowering context from which to begin to explore a conversation about an opportunity and continuing the types of conversations that follow requires industry specific expertise, and an intimate understanding of what drives and motivates people.

We are completely absorbed by the passion of what we do around performance and outcomes - for us it is a science and an art form. Our Executive Search team stakes its reputation on each assignment we undertake. We understand that the only measure of our success is the satisfaction of each client and candidate, a goal we seek to achieve throughout all our processes.

Our Executive Search Brand Promises:

Managing Director involvement. A Managing Director will oversee all search assignments and our clients receive weekly progress reports throughout the course of every engagement.

No Conflict of Interest. We prefer to be engaged on a flat fee basis rather than a percentage-based fee. This ensures that there is no perceived conflict of interest during the critical phase of the engagement when an offer is being prepared. As our fees are not linked to the final compensation & benefits package that is offered, many of our clients utilize us to manage the offer process to ensure that it goes smoothly.

Competitive Fees. We're structured very differently to any other Exclusive & Retained firm in the market. Our business model ensures that we can offer significantly lower rates than any of our competitors. Contact us today and we'll be happy to explain how we produce extraordinary outcomes that surpass our competitors, at less cost.

Agreed timeframes and a sense of urgency. We'll present you with a shortlist of qualified, relevant and culturally suitable candidates within a pre-agreed timeframe that fits your needs. On average, our clients make a hiring decision within 3 weeks of having commenced the search assignment - even for the most challenging of mandates.

Guarantee of quality. We guarantee the candidates that we place for a minimum of 6 months, and anywhere up to 24 months depending upon their role within your organization - should a candidate that we have placed leave your employ within the guarantee period, we will conduct a replacement search at no additional charge.

Best in class. Each and every aspect of the quality and thoroughness of our work is unsurpassed by our competitors. We are entrusted by our clients to act as an extension of their organization, and we take this honor seriously. Our clients appreciate that we are brand ambassadors and represent their company very much in line with their brand standards and corporate culture.

The Executive Search Process

Our four-step recruiting process provides structure and accountability to the engagement. This approach ensures that our clients are satisfied that we have left no stone unturned - that each and every individual within the agreed geographic scope who meets the requirements of the role has been contacted, and if interested, further assessed for suitability.

1. REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS & OPPORTUNITY PROFILE

Based on discussions with you, we define the parameters of the role and identify the professional and personal qualifications you require in an ideal candidate. A written opportunity profile (extended job description) and project timeline are developed to define the structure and attractiveness of your recruitment proposition.

2. RESEARCH & IDENTIFICATION

A research plan is developed to identify the field of potential candidates, and the geographic scope of the search. This plan uses our extensive research skills, our extensive recruiting database and our broad industry network. Targeted candidates are contacted and screened to ascertain interest and compatibility. A weekly conference call is scheduled to keep you up-to-date on the search assignment.

3. ASSESSMENT & RECOMMENDATION

Interviews are conducted and assessment profiles are administered for potential candidates covering work experience, management style, personal characteristics, and other essential criteria using our leadership assessment and psychometric evaluations. Detailed candidate reports of the top candidates are presented to you and meetings are scheduled with the selected individuals.

4. FEEDBACK & OFFER

Feedback from all parties is reviewed to measure interest and determine a course of action. At your discretion, SKC Future Enterprises may participate in employment negotiations with the prospective executive. The terms of an agreement are defined and communicated. SKC Future Enterprises will conduct formal reference checking. *SKC Future Enterprises conducts business reference checking only. Background checks, drug testing and so forth can be done by a third-party provider at applicable costs.

How we help our clients

Mid-Management Recruitment: Regional, Area and Property-level operations and functional specialists

Our database of hospitality industry talent is unparalleled - we can consistently present a shortlist of qualified candidates within two to four weeks of commencing the engagement.

Leadership Assessment: Our psychometric evaluations and behavioral interviewing provides deep insight into candidates' management and leadership style. Our detailed assessment sheds light on blind spots, identifies potential areas for growth and development, as well as providing key insights into management strategies that will ensure peak performance from the incumbent. Our leadership assessment profiles provide our clients with a unique insight into the various psychometric profiles that flourish in the hospitality field – at all levels of an organization. This enables us to provide our clients with powerful insights and strategies to ensure that the individuals that we place are continually engaged and empowered by their roles with their employer – ensuring their loyalty and longevity for years to come. We have passion for what we do and a deep and vested interest in the success of all of our client companies, as well as the success of the individuals that we place – after all, extraordinary outcomes lead to repeat business from our clients, as well as referrals.

Compensation and Benefits: Through frequent compensation and benefits surveys spanning over more than 8 years, we have compiled one of the most comprehensive compensation and benefits databases for the hospitality industry in the Asia Pacific region. This broad depth of knowledge of compensation and benefits programs/structures across the entire organizational chart from a plethora of companies provides us with invaluable insights that we can share with our clients

Past and Present Clients

Client testimonials

Fairmont Raffles Hotels International

Vice President of Development - Greater China

"We retained Scott to support us with acquiring a Vice President of Development for China...The successful candidate that we ultimately hired performed beyond expectations and delivered 12 hotel management contracts for us across the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel brands. Scott’s communication and due diligence throughout the course of the engagement was extraordinary. I have no hesitation in recommending his firm".

James KaplanFormer Senior Vice President of Development – Asia Pacific & IndiaFairmont Raffles Hotels International

Hilton Worldwide

Director of Development - Middle East

"Scott fully understands the fundamental personal and professional characteristics that a successful deal closer must posses, as well as having a strong understanding of the hotel development world. Clearly the record shows he can identify long term talent whilst thinking creatively about an executive search. Outcomes that help to make a huge impact."

Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort

General Manager (rebranding)

"Our expectations were high and Scott executed an extraordinary search - swiftly developing an exceptional shortlist. He was able to attract a veteran hotelier with 25+ years of luxury hotel/resort experience, a passion for golf, and who ticked all the right boxes. Simultaneously we also engaged Scott to find a Director of Sales & Marketing for the resort, where he also delivered an outstanding result".

PTT Family

Chief Operating Officer, Food & Beverage Division

"Our F&B concepts are unique cutting-edge offerings, and we have a strong company culture based upon family values that we’re fiercely protective of – we’re not just hiring employees, we’re expanding our family. SKC shares our values and understands our company culture as we have partnered with them since our humble beginnings. Finding a suitable MD/COO for our restaurant division was a global search targeting only the most exceptional F&B people in the business – and SKC delivered an extraordinary result.....SKC is our preferred partner when we need to fill key roles within our organization where an Exclusive and Retained approach is essential to find the right caliber of candidates."

Hard Rock Casinos

Senior Vice President of Development - Asia Pacific

"They took a very professional approach, not sharing our company name until they had vetted the right individuals. The quality of candidates presented matched our profile, each with a different strength."

PTT Family (Potato Head Beach Club, Bali)

Managing Director, Hotels & Resorts

"They attracted a world class shortlist for each role and delivered extraordinary outcomes with a true partnership mentality; they really invested the time to fully appreciate and understand our corporate culture, as well as the company that we aspire to be... this ensured that we were 100% aligned on all fronts and the process was smooth and efficient with a high level of communication."

Marriott Vacations Worldwide

Chief Development Executive - Asia Pacific

"With a view to further develop Marriott Vacations Worldwide portfolio in the Asia Pacific region, we engaged with Scott to assist us with attracting a seasoned hotel development professional to lead our expansion efforts.

In a relatively short space of time, Scott developed an extraordinary shortlist of veteran developers with relevant experience, the necessary skill set, and the broad network of relationships required for such a role".

General Manager, Morton's Steakhouse Shanghai

Hong Kong Football Club

Standard Operating Procedures

"SKC have been working with us on the development of a Quality Assurance Programme, which involved the development of Standard Operating Procedures for every department, conducting staff training workshops and the development of an online SOP Library.

Concurrently we also engaged with SKC to search for an Executive Chef and Executive Sous Chef vacancy, owing to their intimate understanding of Members Clubs and Hotels as well as their reputation in the marketplace. The team delivered exceptional results in a very short time-frame, and this first experience of partnering with SKC will certainly ensure that we’ll partner with them again when we have needs in the future."

Whitbread - Premier Inn

Vice President of Development - Indonesia

"I have been most impresssed with the support offered by Scott Chiesa at SKC Future Enterprises for a crtical business development role in our new business in Indonesia. Throughout all my interactions with Scott, he has demonstrated a high level of professionalism, integrity and efficiency. He took the time at the outset to fully understand our business needs and expectations, and, with his expert knowledge of the market, was very quickly able to present us with a number of excellent candidates who fully met the requirements of the role."

KLoe Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Pre-opening General Manager and Pre-opening Consulting Services

"We engaged SKC Future Enterprises for Executive Search and Consulting Services for the pre-opening of KLoe Hotel in Kuala Lumpur after the firm was recommended to us by a contact at Hard Rock International. The team developed a shortlist of very strong potential candidates in a short space of time, and the due diligence that was conducted on all candidates was truly remarkable. We have remained in regular contact with SKC since the engagement concluded, we learnt a lot about hiring the right person for our company from Scott, and would not hesitate to utilize their services again when the need arises".

Black Sheep Restaurants

Engaged with SKC on an Annual Retainer Basis since January 2017

SKC Future Enterprises has been engaged by Black Sheep Restaurants on an Annual Retainer Basis since January 2017. SKC has placed several key management positions in F&B Operations, Human Resources, Event Management, as well as a number of Executive Chefs – one of whom was instrumental in obtaining a Michelin Star for New Punjab Club in 2018.

Executive Coaching & Career Consulting Services

Next Career Move

"I was introduced to Scott through a mutual friend in the hospitality industry. At the time I was seeking a career move and so I booked a one-hour session with Scott where he provided me with some amazing insights and advice gained from more than a decade of experience in the Executive Search industry. A couple of months later and I am working for the very same company that I had expressed a desire to work with. I can highly recommend his Career Consulting Services".

SELECTION OF ASSIGNMENTS

An overview of SKC's broad depth of experience - for further details on Hospitality Executive Search, Hospitality Mid-Management Recruitment, Club Consultancy, and Compensation & Benefits Custom Surveys, click on READ MORE